Sterilizing device for hair styling apparatus



March 26, 958 E, M MORRIS l y3,375,057

STERILIZING DEVICE FOR HAIR STYLING APPARATUS Filed March .5, 1964 ,0 Trop/vf V5 United States Patent O 3,375,057 STERILIZING DEVICE FOR HAIR STYLING APPARATUS Ellen M. Morris, 1700 E. 32nd St., Des Moines, Iowa Filed Mar. 5, 1964, Ser. No. 349,610

8 Claims. (Cl. 21-91) `AnsTRAcT oF Tin: DISCLOSURE A sterilizing device for hair styling apparatus consist- 'ing of a J-shaped housing mounted on a rectangular housing. The rectangular housing is adapted to receive a disinfectant, the vapors of which pass upwardly into the J-shaped housing to sterilize the apparatus contained therein. The J-shaped housing includes an upper door for inserting the apparatus and a lower door at the front thereof for removing the apparatus after sterilization.

Many state laws require that beauty operators or hair stylists sterilize their hair styling equipment between customers. This procedure is time consuming and messy at best.

Therefore, a principal object of this invention is to provide a sterilizing device which will conveniently sterilize hair styling apparatus.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sterilizing device which will not be messy to operate.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sterilizing device which will be safe to use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sterilizing device which will satisfy the rules and regulations of state regulatory bodies.

A further yobject of this invention is to provide a sterilizing device which will effectively maintain the hair styling apparatus therein for the prescribed length of time.

A further object of this invention is to provide a sterilizing device which will be economical of manufacture, durable in use and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

This invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination of the various parts of the device,

whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of the device with a portion of one wall cutaway to more fully illustrate the device;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the device as seen on line 2-2 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device as seen on line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top elevational view of the device with a portioncutaway to more fully illustrate the device; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the device as seen on line 5-5 of FIG. 2 at an enlarged scale.

The numeral 10 generally indicates a rectangular housing comprised of base 11, forward wall 13, rear wall 15 and side walls 17 and 19. A tray means 21 having a disinfectant 23 such as formaldehyde or the like therein slidably extends inwardly into housing 10 through side wall 17. A J-shaped housing 25 is secured to the upper endy of housing 10 by any convenient means and is comprised of back wall 27, front wall 29, arcuate wall member 30 which is secured to and extends forwardly of back wall 27 and side walls 31 and 33. Arcuate wall member 30 has a plurality of openings 35 therein to provide communication between the interior of housing 10 and the interior of housing 25. Housing 25 has a plurality of up- 3,375,057 Patented Mar. 26, 1968 ICC in its)bottom end for communication between the interior thereof and the interior of housing 25. A door means 45 having a knob 47 secured thereto is hingedly secured to back wall 27 of housing 25 by means of hinges 28 and extends forwardly to and engages front wall 29. A door means 49 having a metal knob 51 is hingedly secured to the lower end of front wall 29 by means of hinges 52 and extends forwardly to and engages the free end of arcuate wall member 30. The outside surface of front wall 29 has a magnet 53 secured thereto to engage metal knob 51 when door rneans 49 is opened to a position as shown in FIG. 2. An optional trough means 55 may be secured to front wall 29 adjacent the upper end thereof if so desired. Trough means 55 is comprised of arcuate Wall member 57, and side walls 59 and 61. A door means 63 having a knob 64 secured thereto is hingedly secured to the upper free end of arcuate wall member 57 by means of hinges 65 and extends rearwardly to and engages front wall 29. If trough means 55 is utilized a plurality of openings 67 are provided in front wall 29 as illustrated in FIG. 3.

An additional optional trough means 69 may be secured to the forward side of arcuate Wall 30 as shown in FIGS. l and 2 if so desired. Trough means 69 is comprised of an arcuate wall member 71 and side walls 73 and 75 (not shown). A door means 77 having a knob 78 secured thereto is hingedly secured to the upper free end of arcuate wall memlber 71 by means of hinges 79 and extends rearwardly to and engages arcuate wall member 30. If trough means 69 is utilized, a plurality of openings 81 are provided in the forward side of arcuate wall member 30 for communication between the interior of housing 25 and the interior of trough means 69. A plurality of partitions 83 may also be provided in trough means 69 which extend between and are secured to arcuate wall members 30 and 71 thereby creating compartments 85.

The numeral 87 generally indicate a plurality of curlers as used in the hair styling business.

The normal method of operation is as follows. A disinfectant 23 is poured into tray means 21 and is absorbed by absorbent 20 (not shown). Tray means 21 is then placed into housing 10 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. Door means 45 is opened and rollers 87 placed into the interior of housing 25 in compartments 39. Usually many different sizes of rollers are needed. Therefore, rollers of the same sizes may be placed into separate compartments 39 and will maintain the rollers 87 in a segregated relationship. Door means 45 is then closed. The fumes from disinfectant 23 will rise slowly through the plurality of rollers 85 and sterilize them in so doing. Door means 49 may be raised at any time to extract rollers 87 from housing 25 when needed. If door means is desired to lift open for any period of time, knob 51 is placed into contact with magnet 53 which thereby maintains door means 49 in an open position.

The optional tray means 41 may be inserted into housing 25 at such time as it is needed. Tray means could be used for sterilizing such items as combs, bobby pins, etc. The fumes of disinfectant 23 will penetrate into the interior of tray means 41 by passing through openings 43 provided therein. Optional trough means 55 and 69 may also 'be utilized if so desired for miscellaneous items 3 to be sterilized. The fumes from disinfectant 23 will penetrate into trough means 55 and 69 by passing through openings 67 and 81 respectively.

As stated before, rollers are removed from an individuals hair and placed into housing 25. The majority of state laws call for a sterilization time of at least twenty minutes. It has been discovered that the period of time which elapses between the removal of rollers 87 from an individuals hair until the beauty operator requires its use again will be at least twenty minutes. Therefore, there i is no possibility that a roller will be extracted from housing 25 before proper sterilization. The rollers 87 are always in a convenient location and 4readily accessible. Therefore, it can be seen that the device accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my sterilizing device for hair styling apparatus without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a sterilizing device,

a rectangular housing having an open top,

a J-shaped housing secured to the top of said rectangular housing,

said I-shaped housing having an arcuate bottom closing the open top of said rectangular housing, a top, spaced apart front and back walls and spaced apart side walls,

said J-shaped housing having a plurality of openings in its arcuate bottom providing communication -between the interiors of said rectangular housing and said I -shaped housing,

said rectangular housing adapted to receive a disinfectant therein.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the top of said J- shaped housing is closed by a first door means secured thereto and wherein the front of said arcuate bottom is positioned forwardly of the lower end of said front wall thereby defining an opening therebetween which is closed by a second door means.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein a plurality of upstanding partitions are secured to said J-shaped housing in the interior thereof.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein a tray means is removably mounted in said first housing which is adapted to receive the disinfectant.

5. In a sterilizing device,

a rectangular housing having an open top,

said J-shaped housing comprised of vertically disposed front and back walls, vertically disposed side walls, a top, and an arcuate bottom secured to and extending forwardly from the lower end of said back wall and terminating forwardly of the lower end of said front wall, said arcuate bottom extending over said top of said rectangular housing,

a first door means hingedly secured to the lower end of said front wall and extending to the free end of said arcuate bottom,

a second door means hingedly secured to the upper end of said back wall and extending to the upper end of said front wall,

said arcuateV -bottom having a plurality of openings formed therein providing communication between the interiors of said rectangular housing and said J- shaped housing,

a tray means in said rectangular housing adapted to receive a disinfectant therein,

and a plurality of upstanding partitions in said J-shaped housing extending between said front and back walls.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein a second tray means is detachably mounted in said J-shaped housing on the upper ends of said upstanding partitions.

7. The structure of claim 6 wherein the upper portion of said front wall has an arcuate shaped trough means secured thereto, the said arcuate shaped trough means extending upwardly and outwardly from the outside surface of the said front wall, the upper portion of said front wall having a plurality of openings therethrough and within the height of the said arcuate trough, and a third door means hingedly secured to said arcuate shaped trough at the front of said trough means and extending back to said front wall of said J-shaped housing.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein the upper front surface of said arcuate -bottom has an arcuate shaped trough means secured thereto, the said arcuate shaped trough means extending upwardly and outwardly from the front outside surface of said arcuate bottom, the upper front portion of said arcuate bottom having a plurality of openings extending therethrough and within the height of said arcuate shaped trough means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,987,822 1/1935 Gregory 220-1 X MORRIS O. WOLK, Primary Examiner. v

R. M. REESE, Assistant Examiner. 

